Note to the reader: This paper is
written in hyper-text, thus much like the Native American tradition of
oral history it is not meant to be read or understood in a linear fashion.
Rather, the external links highlighted in blue
are meant to give additional information about
topics discussed in the paper. The internal links that are also highlighed
in blue move
throughout the main themes and body of the paper. While some of the external
links may appear to be a bit random or out of place at first, they serve
to illustrate the interconnectedness present in today's society.

In Leslie Marmon Silko's novel,
Ceremony, the main character Tayo must come to terms with himself
and his surrounding environment upon his return from World War II. He is
suffering from a sort of post traumatic stress disorder which has affected
him physcially as well as emotionally due to the fact that he has survived
as a prisoner of war in Japan. Consequently he must deal with all of the
horrific memories when he returns to live with his family on the Laguna
Pueblo reservation in New Mexico. To compound his problems, Tayo is half
Caucasian and half Native American, so he must also deal with the added
pressures of bi-culturalism. He is torn between the Native American world
and the white world, and is unable to feel a secure security or belonging.
Tayo's friends and family believe that they know the nature of and antidote
for Tayo's illness and depression, however it is only the Native American
ceremonies which will truly help him. He needs to witness the convergence
of life and truly understand the cyclical nature of his emotions and events
that he has experienced. With the help and wisdom of Old Betonie, Tayo
eventually finds peace in the Native American ceremonies even amongst all
of the paradoxes present in America.

The novel itself is very illustrative
of American literary
traditions because of its fractured memories, story-like quality, and
the cyclical nature of family legacies. In that sense, Ceremony is very
similar to books such as Maus and Moby Dick.

In her novel, Ceremony, Leslie
Marmon Silko illustrates the many paradoxes of American culture, values,
and history. While Tayo grapples with his own internal struggles, the struggles
of America are revealed through Silko's writing. America's perception of
and relationship with Native Americans are detailed through Tayo's experiences
of biculturalism. America, the land of the free and the home of the brave,
blatantly discriminates and devalues its true native citizens. Furthermore,
America's ideal of bravery is tested. Not only are Native American soldiers
dying for the country that seized their land, but one is led to rethink
the traditional American ideal of bravery. The paradoxical nature of the
American tradition of recording history is also evident within Ceremony
as Silko introduces the Native American values attached to the importance
of oral tradition. While history sustains Native American culture, Americans
often either discredit or manipulate history to justify its actions.

A web page appears to be the best
suited medium in which to discuss Ceremony. Electronic capabilites
are quite similar to those of the Thought Woman, "Ts'its'tsi'nako,
Thought-Woman, is sitting in her room and whatever she thinks about appears"
(Silko 1). Whatever one is thinking can appear with simply the click of
a mouse button on a web page. The word "web" connotates an interconnectedness
which is evident in both the novel and the Internet. Thus, this medium
captures the unique experience of non-linear storytelling
to the degree that Silko has in Ceremony.

Perhaps one of the most ironic themes
in Ceremony is that of the United State's relationship with the
Native Americans. The history
of Native Americans and their struggles with the American
government have been incredibly bleak. American settlers attempted
to destroy the Native American peoples and use the land for their own purposes.
Furthermore, the American government subjugated the Native Americans by
forcing them onto Indian reservations, "They see no life when they
look they see only objects. The world is a dead thing for them" (Silko
135). The American government did not see the land in the same manner as
the Native Americans, and the government possessed the power to use the
land for their own means. The
Trail of Tears serves as a constant, historical reminder of the mistakes
the American government has made.

Furthermore, the relationship becomes
even more paradoxical during times of crisis. Native Americans become first
class citizens when they are needed. Native Americans were drafted to fight
for the country that stole their land, yet they were expected to be patriotic,
loyal, and willing to die for America, "They were America the Beautiful
too, this was the land of the free just like the teachers said in school.
They had the unifrom and they didn't look different no more. They got respect"
(Silko 42). The Native Americans were respected when they were required
to maintain national security and when they conformed to American standards.
Such discrimination may lead one to doubt just how fair and just the "land
of the free" is in terms of their treatment of Native Americans. Discrimination
of the rightful inhabitants of this nation is quite paradoxical indeed,
"...an old white woman rolled down her window and said [to Rocky and
Tayo] 'God bless you, God bless you,' but it was the uniform, not them
she blessed" (Silko 41).

Another very tellling aspect of
America's paradoxical perception of the Native-American
culture. In a sense, Americans exploited Native Americans for their
commerical value, such as in the Super Chief railroad lines and the Santa
Fe calanders. Such commercialization was both popular and prevalent,
"Josiah used to bring the calanders home every year from the Santa
Fe depot, on the reservation these calanders were more common than Coca-Cola
calenders" (Silko 121). Furthermore, the Native Americans were also
commericialized for their culture
and customs, "The Gallup
Ceremonial had been an annual event for a long time. It was good for
the tourist business coming through in the summertime on Highway 66"
(Silko 116). Silko utilizes the cattle metaphor to illustrate how Americans
view the Native Americans as marginalized, "Tayo thought about animals
then, horses and mules, and the way they drifted with the wind" (Silko
27). In that respect, the Native Americans drift around the country with
no land of their own. Americans assigned very little value to the Native
Americans, which is illustrated in how easy it was for the Americans to
commericialize the Native Americans and their culture.Thus, America only
seems to utilize the talents of her native people when a dangerous situation
arises, and Native Americans must then risk their lives for a country that
has treated them as second class citizens.

Another of the paradoxes present
in Ceremony is that of the American ideal of bravery. While bravery
is associated with the many different aspects in Ceremony, the American
ideal is closely linked with the United
States military and heroism. Silko presents the patriotic and loyal
citizen as one who is willing to fight for his country, and in that sense
he is proving his masculinity, "White women never looked at me until
I put on that uniform, and then by God I was a U.S.
Marine and they came crowding around" (Silko,40). Considering
this ideal of American bravery and masculinity, it is even more ironic
that the United States drafted Native Americans to fight for them during
World
War II. Those who America had discriminated against came out and fought
for a country that diminished their contributions, "The destroyers
had sent them into this world, and day by day were doing it" (Silko
204). Tayo comes to understand this paradox:

He wanted to scream at Indians like Harley and
Helen Jean and Emo that while things they admired and desired so much -
the bright city lights and loud music, the soft sweet food and the cars-all
these things had been stolen, torn of the of the Indian land; raw living
materials for thei ck'o'yo manipulation (Silko, 204).

Another American paradox that Silko
comments upon is the attempt to find peace through violent means. As Americans,
we have violently intervened in global affairs attempting to restore global
harmony:

"The destroyers had tricked the white people
as completely as they had fooled the Indians, and now only a few people
understood how the filthy deception worked; only a few knew that the lie
was destroying the white people faster than it was destroying the Indian
people" (Silko 204).

Silko raises the issue of how the
violence of war is also very detrimental to those who experience it. Tayo
experiences a post traumatic stress disorder which alters him physcially
and emotionally, much like those who survived horrors such as Auschwitz,
"They called it battle fatigue, and they said hallucinations were
common with malarial fever" (Silko 8). Tayo was made both physically
and emotionally ill because of his war experiences. Taking the theme of
peace through destruction further, Silko writes of the creation of the
first atomic
bomb at Trinity Site in New Sands, "And the top-secret laboratories
where the bomb had been created were deep in the Jemez Mountains, on the
land the government took form Cochiti Pueblo: Los Alamos, only a hundred
miles northeast of him [Tayo] now..." (Silko 246). Therefore, the
American government perpetuated peace through violence by constructing
the atomic bomb on the very land that it took away from their native peoples.

While the American
ideal of bravery is clearly defined through masculinity and military
means, Tayo discovers that there is a new sense of bravery which can be
found within himself. Ceremony is about convergence and Tayo must
find the courage to discover and embrace that convergence. Tayo challenges
the American ideal of bravery to include an emotional awakening, "He
cried the relief he felt at finally seeing the pattern, the way all the
stories fit together-the old stories, the war stories, their stories-to
become the story that was still being told" (Silko 246). With the
aid of Old Betonie, Tayo struggles to gather the strength necessary to
face his own personal demons. Old Betonie teaches Tayo that peace and courage
are not found immediately, but rather it is a gradual process that must
be found from within, "'Take it easy,' he said, 'don't try to see
everything all at once'" (Silko 120).Thus, Tayo transcends the American
ideal to add an emotional and mental strength to the concept of bravery.

Silko presents oral history and
tradition as an integral part of the Native American culture. Often this
history and wisdom are presented through storytelling, "What she
said: The only cure I know is a good ceremony, that's what she said"
(Silko 3). The importance and ritual of understanding ceremonies is passed
through the history of Native Americans. Passing on wisdom from one generation
to the next illustrates how Native American history is very cyclical, as
Old Grandma shows by stating, "It seems like I already heard these
stories before...only thing is, the names sound different" (Silko
260).

In contrast, American
history is linear and not as rich in wisdom as the Native American
culture. At times, America's
history is tainted. American history may also be manipulated to justify
questionable American actions, such as the intevention in global affairs.
American legacies
are passed down, but as Americans we concentrate on the best and tend to
hide those shameful events. In America, Native American history is not
valued as much as as other 'American' history. However, Native American
history contains so much more wisdom and life lessons than the American
history found in school books. American history can be readily found in
classrooms across the country, but Native Americans must work hard to preserve
their rich cultural tradition. It is paradoxical that the Native Americans
must persevere to preserve their history which is full of culture and wisdom
while editied American history is available for all to accept and embrace.

In Ceremony, Leslie Marmon
Silko reveals the many paradoxes present in America today. Be it the government's
policies regarding Native Americans, the American ideal of bravery, or
the history school children read in their classrooms, America is full of
ironies and paradoxes. These paradoxes do not in any way reduce the grandness
of America as a nation, but rather serve to remind its citizens that we
do not always remember those who helped us become what we are today. Silko's
novel is a literary reminder for Americans to acknowledge our first true
national heritage and remember that the Native American heritage is still
alive and well today. Silko has proven that America has made mistakes in
the past, but certainly has the power to rectify those mistakes today.